1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an arrangement for reading a code to initiate the automatic setting of printers and other electronic products, and more particularly, for example, to the setting of operation and/or printer mode/feature parameters, data communication protocols or printing layout formats. The code to be read may be an RFID affixed directly onto material to be used in the printer or other electronic products, or onto separate sheets, labels or purchasing materials. This invention also relates to materials and dyes, to be used together with a printer. With the aid of the present invention, an optimum setting configuration of the printer or other electronic products is automatically obtained, entailing a high quality and making the printer or other electronic products easily usable by untrained users.
The present invention replaces the previous methods of configuration and programming, as well as bar codes, with RF tags. RF tags, also known as RFID tags, respond to radio frequency (RF) fields. The RF fields energize the RFID tags with enough energy to allow them to transmit/reflect data encoded thereon. RFID tags need only be placed in proximity to the printer or programmable electronic product incorporating an RF reader/interpreter to be read, and the data stored therein captured and uploaded for configuration of the printer or other programmable product. RFIDs may be written to at time of manufacture, by RF signal and/or direct coupled logic circuitry.
2. State of the Art
Previously, configuration of printers, accessories and other programmable products required the use of extensive data entry at a user interface of the product, replacement of data chips within the product, or attachment of cables between the product and a host computer or dedicated programming device. These procedures require technical skill, and in some cases dedicated service personnel. Often reconfiguration is required with each change of media, as different labels of changing sizes, roll capacities or printing parameters are used.
Previously, it was suggested that bar code data could be delivered with each media roll, which could be scanned and the data taken directly into the printer or programmable device so that reprogramming and configuration could occur. An example describing this method/system is U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,223, incorporated herein by reference. ""223 requires a separate optical scanning system to be installed in the printer, and extra care taken as the media must be exposed to the scanner in a proper way to get a correct reading of the data.
The common methods used to change the configuration of a printer or other software programmable product require that the product be removed from its container and packaging to allow a qualified service technician to either:
1) Remove the electronics cover and replace memory components containing product configuration information, or
2) Connect the product to electrical power and a host computer or other dedicated programming device which is used to download, via a communication interface, new configuration parameters to the programmable memory components in the product, or
3) Connect the product to power and enter codes/commands via a user interface.
These alternatives are time-consuming and costly due to the need to open cartons, remove packing material, and prepare the products for reconfiguration. For example 1) above, removal of product electronics covers usually cannot be done by end users without voiding warranties. For alternative 2) above, electrical power and access to a reprogramming device may not be available in the warehouse area where products are stored. In all cases, it is likely that the packaging cosmetics will be damaged during the unpacking and repacking process. Printer and other software configurable product manufacturers, distributors and value-added resellers who must provide their customers with a product which has been configured to provide a specific set of features and options desired by a specific customer may be required to build and carry in stock, all possible configuration options. This is impractical and cost-prohibitive.
In the past, the setting of the printer or other electronic products was often performed by manually entering parameters using an operator input keypad or a keyboard connected to the printer/device, or by data transfer. There are, however, many parameters to be entered, and the parameter determination and entry protocol is often complicated, implying that frequently the user may not to be willing and/or able to perform a correct printer setting him or herself. Furthermore, some parameters are factory set and can only be changed by a qualified service technician. The result is that the quality of the printed product will be less than optimal.
Within other technical areas, coding has been used for the setting of various devices. As an example, programming of video recorders with the aid of bar codes, setting of cameras via reading electrical contact codes on film cartridges, setting of audio tape recorders by sensing cavities on the tapes, etc. It is not known, however, to control a product via codes in the way that the present invention teaches, to program a product without opening the packaging or to have any accessory products used with the product automatically configured by proximity detection.
The present invention resolves the problem of setting the product via affixing a code onto, or in connection with, materials to be used together with the printer. The code may be read automatically or through a simple manipulation performed by the user.
Owing to the invention herein, an optimum setting of the product is achieved fully automatically or semi-automatically. This means that, in the case of printers, ease of use and a high print-out quality can be warranted. The invention allows for quick and easy exchange of dye and receiver material with an automatic or semi-automatic optimal setting of the printer work parameters with regard to the dye as well as to the receiver material. Furthermore, other printer functions, such as data communication with peripheral equipment, printing layout, automatic recognition of attachments and wireless status reporting without local RF transmitter power connection can be controlled in a simpler manner.
The present invention is an arrangement for the automatic setting of a programmable product. In the case of printers, the arrangement includes a printing mechanism and a control unit for providing a printout on a printing material with the aid of a dye, ink or toner. In accordance with the invention, a code reader is connected to the control unit for reading a code for controlling at least one parameter of the printer means i.e. the software controlling product operation. Alternatively, the code may be associated with the printing material, the dye, a printer means peripheral device, wireless status reporting, or a printing layout.
The present invention allows the factory to build a standard, generic configuration that can then be reconfigured without reopening the packaging. Reconfiguration may take place at the manufacturer""s factory, warehouse, at a distributor or a var, upon delivery to the end user, or at any time during the products service life.
The product is capable of reading an RFID programming tag without requiring any external programming device or destructive entry into the packaging or internals of the product. The product may utilize an onboard RF antenna and interrogator circuitry. Configuration data taken from the RFID tag is then read into the product, which contains reprogrammable memory components which are reprogrammed according to the data received from the RFID tag. The reprogramming configures the product""s features and options as desired by that specific user. This feature eliminates the requirement of a dedicated programming device or host computer at the point of product installation. Also, since no intrusion into the electronics"" cavity is needed, a qualified technician is not required, nor is the product warranty likely to be voided by removal of safety regulated electronics enclosure covers. Specialized skill or training is not required to execute the reconfiguration procedure.
The emergence of software programmable products such as on-demand label printers, into which there is built in, the ability to read and encode RFID tags or labels using an RF antenna, encoding and decoding electronics, permits human optical, machine-readable, as well as RF encoded information to be incorporated into an on-demand tag or label. These products provide circuitry and apparatus that can be adapted to the present invention without a large additional expense. Similarly, other software programmable products, for example, cellular telephones and wireless enabled data or computer devices have receiver/transmitter circuitry that could be adapted to read and/or encode RFID""s. The present invention may use this circuitry to read and or write to the reconfiguration data on an RF tag, or receive RF data directly into the product""s circuitry via an onboard RFID circuit.
Upon review of the following specification and claims, one skilled in art will realize that this invention is applicable to any electronic product that uses embedded software.